Aspenkit's Path
by Gummypuss
Summary: Each cat's paws have a path to walk on, start to end, whether it be short or long, twisty or straight. This cat's got a bumpy one ahead of her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, thank you for taking the time to read the story. Before I begin, I'd just like to include a few notes about the setting of my story. It takes place approximately three months after the battle, and in ThunderClan's camp. There have been no changes in the story other then a very brief outbreak of whitecough that may me mentioned before. Other than that, I hope you enjoy my writing, and please be kind enough to leave a review.**

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The nursery was Aspenkit's favorite place. It was where she was born, and it's where she was now. Of course, she'd never seen it, but she'd felt it, and from what Aspenkit could guess, it was very small and cozy. Her mother, Cinderheart, was asleep, and from what she could scent, so were her siblings. If Daisy, Brightheart, Dewkit, Amberkit, Lilykit and Seedkit were also asleep, that would mean she was the only one awake in the nursery!

Aspenkit felt proud. _Only warriors are allowed to stay up late. That must mean that I'M a warrior!_ She thought, elated. She tried to open her eyes to see how dark it was, but her eyelids felt too heavy to open.

_Oh, that's just because I'm just a kit. Not because I'm sleepy! _She declared inwardly. She let out a big yawn as she thought it. A very big yawn. So big, it could be a warrior-sized yawn.

_See? Only warriors yawn that big. Not wimpy little kits!_

Aspenkit tried to get to her feet. She managed to stand for a split second, then her legs trembled and gave out. She fell on her chest. It hurt. Aspenkit squeaked and rolled to her side. Would this be her first warrior injury?

She knew about warriors quite well. Big, strong cats that served the Clan. They had the longest teeth and the sharpest claws. Each one had their own special name. They were loyal, brave and strong. They fought battles, against ShadowClan and foxes and badgers. They could go wherever they please, because they'd earned it. Aspenkit wanted to be a warrior so badly. Every time her mother was awake, Aspenkit asked her to tell her more about warriors. She loved the amazing stories her mother would tell, sometimes about her own father Lionblaze! (According to her mother, Lionblaze was the best warrior ever.)

She also knew about medicine cats. They were okay, but they were kind of boring. Still, they served the Clan just as much as warriors and deserved respect. They spent all day in their den with herbs, sorting them out and polishing them till they gleamed. (Aspenkit had absolutely no idea what "sort", "polish", and "gleam" meant, but they sounded really pretty to her.) Then, when a super brave warrior comes into the den with an awesome battle scar, they would chew the herbs up and stick it on the hurty-part. Medicine cats were super-smart. That's why they know which herbs to put on your hurty-part when you first get it.

Aspenkit yawned again. She was sleepy. Maybe she should sleep. A good warrior knows that they should sleep, because if ShadowClan attacked suddenly, they need to spring up full of energy to fight them off!

She squirmed her way to her mother's belly. Warmth surrounded her as one of her siblings snuggled her side. She relaxed and stopped thinking. Sleeping was her favorite thing to do.

* * *

Aspenkit jolted awake. She wanted to be the first one up!

Sadly, that wasn't the case. Two of her siblings were awake. So was her mother. Cinderheart washed in between Aspenkit's ears. Aspenkit squeaked to let her mother know she was awake. Cinderheart was pleased.

"Good morning Aspenkit!" She purred. She gave her kit another affectionate lick. Aspenkit squeaked again and squeezed her eyes shut tighter, then attempted to open them again. No use.

"Did you know that Hollykit has opened her eyes?" Cinderheart purred.

Aspenkit froze, then, almost immediately, jealousy exploded in her. How could Hollykit open her eyes before her? She was supposed to be the greater warrior, not her stupid sister! Aspenkit hissed. Then, she realized that she could be able to open her eyes _better _than Hollykit! She knew she'd have to open her eyes, and quickly!

Aspenkit squeezed her eyes shut. She closed them so tightly that she felt like a warrior. Then, she lifted her eyelids. Her eyes opened partially. They managed to stay like that as she slowly eased them all the way open.

_Yes! _Aspenkit cheered inwardly. She knew how warrior-like she was now. She blinked twice to clear her cloudy vision. She'd opened her eyes completely. The first thing she saw was her mother. She was beautiful! Cinderheart looked even better than what her father had described. Her fur was shiny silver, a bit curly. It looked like little strands of pure silver. Then she looked up in her eyes. They looked like pools of calmness. Cinderheart looked at her kit and purred at the sight of her eyes.

"Oh, you've opened your eyes! They're beautiful and green." Cinderheart murmured. As she spoke, an older kit looked up from his nest.

Aspenkit and Hollykit gazed curiously at the older tom. He looked at his denmates. He'd been living with them for a quarter-moon, but he'd never seen them so animated. He cautiously padded from his nest and looked at the two.

"Hi, I'm Dewkit." He introduced. Hollykit purred. Aspenkit said nothing, as she was inspecting her sister. She was very dark gray, almost black. She had eyes like her mother, deep blue. She was also very pretty, Aspenkit remarked as she lifted a paw to lick. She drew it over her ears and concentrated on her denmate. "Look, those are your brothers." He meowed, gesturing with his tail to turn and look. Both she-cats turned their heads around. Three toms, all bigger than them were curled up asleep near their mother's belly. Cinderheart moved her tail so they'd have a better view.

_Those cats are related to me! _Aspenkit thought excitedly. She scanned them over. She knew her mother had named the toms Sapkit, Woodkit, and Fogkit, but she didn't know who was who, until Dewkit pointed them out for her.

"You guys don't understand how long I was waiting for you to open your eyes! Now I can finally have more denmates!" He cried excitedly. Then, all of a sudden, he paused. Both kits looked confused. Hollykit opened her berry pink mouth and let out a confused meow.

"Ssh. Look." He pointed at the nursery entrance with his tail. They looked over. A few warriors were standing not far from the door. They were talking quietly to a pretty ginger she-cat with a bushy tail. She said a few commands to them, then they nodded.

"That's the dawn patrol. What they do is they go out of the Clan very early to make sure other Clans like ShadowClan don't come into the Clan and hurt anyone. After dawn, they will come back and tell the deputy what's going on. See that ginger she-cat? She's the deputy, Squirrelflight. She's second in charge of the Clan." Dewkit explained Clan customs to the two kits.

"So, if it's okay with your mom, is it okay if you two come outside with me?" Dewkit asked, looking at Hollykit.

Cinderheart interrupted. "I'm sure they'd love to Dewkit, but they can't walk or talk yet. Besides, it's a little too early to be running around in the hollow. However, I can get you something to play with. Just make sure that nothing happens to the others."

"Yes, Cinderheart! You're my favorite queen." Dewkit exclaimed happily.

Cinderheart lightly chuckled. "Thank you Dewkit." She cast a worried glance over her shoulder at her nest as she left the nursery to find a moss ball.

"What about me?" Brightheart asked sleepily. She had woken up and was starting to stretch her tail, bumping Snowkit out of the nest. He mewed in protest, but Brightheart teasingly cuffed his ear. "Beat it. Go get some exercise like your brother." She mewed.

Dewkit started to complain, but as Cinderheart made her way in the nursery the moss ball caught his eye and he scurried over to her. Brightheart stared gratefully at Cinderheart, then she curled up again, snuggling Amberkit, who opened her eyes, looked at her surroundings and started to squirm.

As Cinderheart sat back down, Lionblaze poked his head into the nursery. Cinderheart's eyes brightened as he made his way in and dropped a rabbit in the center of the nursery. "For all of you." He announced.

"Lionblaze, two of the kits have opened their eyes." Cinderheart purred.

"Well, it's about time!" He joked. "By the time the others have opened their eyes, it will be leaf-bare."

Cinderheart rolled her eyes, then said, "How about you take them into the hollow? It's been a while, and Dewkit has been bothering me about it. The others should be awake now."

"You sure? I didn't know they could walk."

"Hollykit can, but Aspenkit can't. I'm sure she could get a few pointers."

"Sure thing." Lionblaze licked Cinderheart's ears affectionately, then he gently picked Aspenkit up by her scruff and nudged Hollykit up. Aspenkit wriggled her legs helplessly, but she didn't do anything to stop it. She just opened her mouth and mewed.

Hollykit, as slow as a snail, followed her father outside, toppling over from time to time. When she got outside, she looked up at the sky. The hollow was huge! Aspenkit looked up at the sky as well. It was brilliantly blue. She was admiring the fluffiness of a cloud when she heard a voice.

"Wow, they're adorable! Who's this one?"

"This is Aspenkit," Lionblaze muttered through a mouthful of fur. "And that one is Hollykit."

"Oh, they're so cute!" The she-cat mewed. She was red-orange. She looked at Aspenkit. "Hi, I'm Cherrynose." She mewed. "How are you?"

Aspenkit mewed. She was fine, but she couldn't talk yet and was slightly annoyed at Cherrynose for invading her personal space.

As Cherrynose cooed over Hollykit, Aspenkit dropped out of her dad's grip and tumbled near the fresh-kill pile. She looked up at it. _Look at all this food the warriors caught! One day, I'll catch that much food and feed the whole entire Clan!_

Aspenkit meowed in wonder. Lionblaze looked over at the kit.

"A lot of prey, huh? One day you'll be able to catch that much. But until then, you've got to stay in the nursery, where it's safe and warm."

_But as soon as I get out of there for good, I'm gonna show the world who's boss! _Aspenkit declared inwardly.


	2. Chapter 2

**No reviews for chapter 1? Come on. We can do better than that. And for those of you who don't know what Aspen is, it's a type of tree.**

**Random Cat Fact: A cat's nose pad is ridged with a unique pattern, just like the fingerprint of a human.**

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Aspenkit wriggled violently out of her father's grip. She plopped on the ground and attempted to walk away. However, her little cat legs couldn't support her weight and she toppled over to the side onto her back. Hollykit approched her a bit more steadily and nudged her back to her feet supportively. She mewed as if to say, "Try again."

Aspenkit hopped up on her feet. She wasn't trying to walk right now, she was just trying to stand. _I don't need Hollykit's help! I can do stuff on my OWN!_ She thought. _I bet Bluestar or Firestar didn't need help when they learned how to walk. Let alone from their stuck-up siblings. _

The frustrated kit dug her claws into the soft soil for extra support, and stretched her hind legs back and her front legs out. She managed to stay still for longer, but she still fell over onto her back. Hollykit, on the other side, gave a small jump. Her paws slid out from under her, but the strong kit managed to stay on her paws.

Aspenkit was horrified and shocked. Her tiny jaw fell, her berry pink mouth completely visible. _No cat learns something before me! I'm supposed to be a great warrior! _

The furious kit unsheathed and sheathed her claws, pushing herself to her paws. She snuck a look at her sister, who was staring at her father, who was sharing words with Dovewing. Aspenkit twitched her ears and leaped to her paws. Copying her sister's form, she found it easier to balance. Her shoulders were not stretched and her paws were slightly apart wider than her shoulder width. Her hind paws were also far apart.

Aspenkit gently placed her front paw in front if her body, and her right hind paw in front of her left one. Leaning forwards, she did the same thing with her other paws, her claws gripping the earth. Her technique was steady and quick, and she managed to take a few steps before toppling over. Proud, she took faster steps. Soon, she was walking quickly and steadily, just like the other cats. Hollykit was already running.

Aspenkit bit her tongue. She new better than to be jealous, especially of her sister. But for some reason this horrible feeling kept rising in her gut. She wished she could just show Hollykit what a better fighter than her she was. Maybe she could...

Aspenkit looked around camp for Hollykit. Flicking her ears, she swiveled her head around until she saw Hollykit and Dewkit by the fresh-kill pile, talking. Dewkit said something to Hollykit, and she laughed, standing up and walking back to the nursery. Now was Aspenkit's chance.

_I am a warrior! _Aspenkit thought.

She did her best hunting crouch, which in all honesty was terrible, and pulled herself to her sister, her tail dragging on the ground. Hollykit paused to wash her face a couple of times, and while she was distracted Aspenkit pounced on her sister. Hollykit gasped as she fell to the ground.

Aspenkit battered her sister's belly with sheathed claws, then batted her on the ear. By this time, Hollykit was play-fighting back. She nipped at her sister's shoulder and tried to bowl her over, but her sister leaped up and placed both paws on her shoulders, forcing Hollykit to the ground. Hollykit rolled over and bit at her sister's stomach.

Sapkit, Woodkit and Fogkit watched from the nursery, their eyes wide. Woodkit meowed in astonishment.

Aspenkit grabbed her sister's head and pawed at it. Her sister bashed her head up, winding Aspenkit. Both kits jumped back, ears up and whiskers twitching. Then, Aspenkit went back into the fight, leaping at her sister again and rolling over around in the dusty hollow. Aspenkit bit Hollykit's shoulder and quickly felt a foot in her gut. She let go and caught her sister's head instead. Hollykit performed the same move.

Twisting her head so that it bumped into Hollykit's, both kits fell back onto four paws, crouching and playfully glaring at each other with slitted eyes. They lashed their tails. Meanwhile, Aspenkit heard a warrior comment, "Your kits are good fighters, Lionblaze!"

As Hollykit prepared to leap at Aspenkit, Her mother called, "Aspenkit, Hollykit, come back to the nursery. It's lunch time."

Hollykit ran into the nursery, leaving her sister to get in by herself. Aspenkit ran/walked into the nursery, basically speedwalking as quickly as possible. Cinderheart purred as Aspenkit walked into the nursery.

"You're a very fast walker and a quick learner."

"I'm quicker!" Hollykit mewed.

"Yes, you are both my great quick learners." Cinderheart praised. She licked Hollykit's head, then Aspenkits. She nuzzled the rest of her kits. Aspenkit approached her mother and started to drink.

Soon, Aspenkit grew tired. Her eyes were starting to get heavy, and Fogkit had already fallen asleep. She took a look outside, and the sky was starting to turn dark.

"Mommy, the sky is turning dark. Where's the sun?" She asked.

Her mother replied, "Good question. The sun is going to provide light for StarClan. When it is night for us, it is day for StarClan. Meanwhile, the moon comes to us, so that the medicine cats have access to the moonpool, and so that the cats are giving the signal that it's time to rest. When the sun is up, we call it daytime, and when the sun is down, we call it night."

"Oh." Aspenkit mewed, glad that her question had been answered as she curled up. _A good warrior asks questions, so they can learn as much as they can._

She yawned. A_ good warrior takes a nap when she needs to. That way when there's a battle, she can jump into it and fight full of energy!_

Proud of recognizing that without someone informing her, she closed her eyelids and drifted off to sleep. But before she did, the last thought that crossed her mind was, _I'll be the best warrior there ever was.  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Guys, where did all the reviews go? I don't bite!**

**And for today's random cat fact: The more you talk to your cat, the more it will speak to you. (No wonder my cat was so talkative.)**

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Aspenkit laid out on the ground. It was hot out today and Bramblestar had sent out the strongest hunters as most of the Clan was so hot they'd gone to the lake to cool off before he or Squirrelflight had awoken. Although Sapkit and Hollykit found that clever, Aspenkit had been displeased. _If I had been a warrior I would've waited._

Hollykit, who was beside her, gazed at her with round, deep blue eyes. Her normally sleek black pelt had become raggedy and dirty from the heat. Three moons had passed since the kits learned to walk, and Dewkit and Amberkit had become apprentices.

Dewpaw was also in camp. He emerged from his den and shook his pelt. Hollykit glanced at the handsome young tom, becoming more alert almost instantly.

"Hey Hollykit!" Dewpaw mewed happily, making his way over to the two. The two youngest warriors, Lilyfern and Seedheart, giggled at the sight. Aspenkit rolled her eyes, flexing her claws. She was bored. Everyone was sitting around, asleep. Her brothers were play fighting near the fresh-kill pile, and Sandstorm, who had moved to the elders den, was asleep in the shade, Purdy beside her, rambling on about something. Even Dovewing, who had moved to the nursery a moon ago, was flopped out in the entrance of the nursery on some wet moss.

As Aspenkit laid her head on her paws, her sister and Dewpaw nearby, the sound of footsteps made her ears twitch. The recognizable scent of fear got stronger until Birchfall made his way into the hollow.

Aspenkit looked over at him, already starting to panic.

His eyes wild, he announced loudly, "Millie is dead, and Ivypool and Brackenfur are badly hurt!"

Immediately, cats stood up. Aspenkit and her siblings shared a scared look, huddling together. Being the only kits in the nursery, they had shared a close relationship with one another.

Bramblestar came running, Squirrelflight quickly behind him.

"Where is Millie and the patrol?" He asked grimly, his eyes dark.

"She's near the Twolegplace. We think she got hit on a thunderpath, and in a panic Ivypool and Brackenfur tried to rush through a Twoleg clearing to help. A dog attacked Brackenfur and Ivypool got injured helping him."

Quickly, Bramblestar and his deputy shouted out orders. Dewpaw, Foxleap and Seedheart were to go follow Birchfall over to the Twolegplace. Meanwhile, Jayfeather and his apprentice, Briarlight, prepared herbs and ointments for the injured cats.

"I'd expect better from Millie, she always follows Clan orders, especially in important patrols." Aspenkit hard someone say.

Aspenkit's eyes grew huge. The fur along her spine bristled as her fur bushed out. She didn't know not following orders was deadly. Sure, she knew it was wrong, but _deadly?_

Uncomfortable, Aspenkit stared at her paws. Maybe it was just fate, and not a consequence.

Pressing against her sister, Aspenkit closed her eyes and pinned her ears back, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. Her tail lashed from side to side.

"It's okay, Aspenkit. She was a good warrior, and she died serving her Clan."

_She died serving her Clan._ Aspenkit repeated inwardly. _Just like any loyal warrior would_.

Yet still, she was unconvinced. The fact that Millie wasn't supposed to be near the thunderpath, but she was serving her Clan confused her. She understood why Hollykit thought she was serving her Clan, because she was on patrol, but if she had strayed so far away from territory then she even risked going near a twolegplace, then she wasn't following orders. Plus, cats had gotten hurt.

Deep in thought, Aspenkit had barely heard the patrol come back. She looked up and was surprised by the amount of blood trailing behind Ivypool. She was walking, but Brackenfur wasn't. He was being carried. As Aspenkit stood on her hind paws, trying to get a better view, Cinderheart tapped her on the shoulder with her tail and beckoned her towards the nursery.

In the nursery, Fogkit asked his littermates, "Did you see Brackenfur's paw? It was all bloody and had a bite mark on it."

"Really?" Sapkit asked.

"Yeah. It was cool!" Fogkit boasted. His light gray shoulders puffed out and his blue eyes gleamed.

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**Author's Note: Fogkit is a gray tabby tom with white ears, chest and paws with blue eyes. Sapkit, Aspenkit and Woodkit are both brown tabby toms with amber eyes, but Woodkit is a lot darker. Hollykit is black (her fur is now darker) with blue eyes.**

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Aspenkit and Woodkit flicked their ears. They both wished that they had seen.

Hollykit spoke up. "Ivypool had a bite mark on the back of her flank."

"Cool." Sapkit mewed. He was a quiet kit, and was more thoughtful than talkative. Aspenkit carried the same trait. Fogkit, Hollykit and Woodkit were more outgoing.

Hollykit flattened her ears. She wanted to impress her littermates too. Woodkit mewed, "Hey, let's have a high jumping contest!"

"Sure!" Hollykit mewed, her eyes sparkling. The other kits nodded excitedly.

"You in, Aspenkit?"

"Err, think I'll pass this time." The kit meowed as she entered the nest. Looking up at her mother with huge eyes, she asked, "Mama, why did Millie die if she was serving her Clan?"

"StarClan decided it was her time." Her mother replied. "I know that it's sad, but warriors die."

"What about daddy?" The kit meowed.

"I thought Dustpelt told you about him. He has a lower chance of getting hurt in battle because he's special."

"But he's going to die soon."

"He won't die anytime soon. Do you want me to call him in?"

"No!" Aspenkit cried. "What if he dies in here?"

"Your father is alive and well, and there's nothing threatening his life."

"I want daddy!" Aspenkit wailed.

"I…just…you—wha-ugh…" Cinderheart sighed. She stood up and walked out of the nursery. Aspenkit was blubbering in the nest. Her siblings were completely ignoring her. She could hear her mother call for her father, then come back in. She sat in her nest and waited as Lionblaze entered the nursery. Immediately, the kits stopped their game and circled around their father's paws, the chant of "Daddy!" filling the air.

Lionblaze purred and nuzzled his kits, then walked over to his mate. "Yes?"

"Aspenkit's been a bit worried about you." Cinderheart meowed. She nudged Aspenkit to her father, who leaped at him and pressed her muzzle to the side of her father's. She sniffled, pretending she didn't see her mother mouth "drama queen" to her father.

"Daddy, are you going to die?" She asked. Her siblings were watching but she didn't care.

"No, sweetheart. I'm not going to die." He bent down into the nest and nuzzled Aspenkit. She realized how happy and healthy her father looked.

"D-do you promise?" She wept. Her breathing was slowing down, as she'd been hyperventilating.

"Honey, I promise." Lionblaze meowed. He pulled Cinderheart close, then pulled Aspenkit close. "I love my family, and I'm not going to lose them anytime."

Aspenkit closed her eyes. She was acutely aware of her siblings joining them. _Even if I'm a great warrior doesn't mean I can't love my family._


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Reviews! Thank you all who reviewed so much! I really appreciate it!**

**Random cat fact: An ailurophile is someone who loves cats. (For a while I thought it had another O in it.)**

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"Aspenkit, guess what?" Hollykit went near her sister, who was cleaning her pelt in the side of the nursery. Aspenkit had gotten a bit reserved since the death of Millie. She'd been following more orders, going to bed on time and become less adventurous. In fact, Aspenkit had been called "boring" by her siblings a lot.

"Yes, Hollykit?" She replied.

"Lilyfern is offering to sneak us out of camp! But you can't tell anyone."

"She's breaking the warrior code. Kits are not allowed to leave camp. She should know better."

"But Aspenkit, we're almost six moons old!" Hollykit mewed.

"Hollykit, we're four moons old. That's nowhere near six moons. Plus, I want to see Dovewing's kits."

"Dovewing isn't going to kit that fast." Hollykit mewed. It was dawn, and Dovewing had started her kitting at moon-high. Cinderheart was in the nursery, making sure the light gray queen was okay.

"You're going to get caught." Aspenkit warned.

"No we aren't. Look around," Her sister meowed in response.

Minus the dawn patrol and the apprentices and their mentors, most of the cats were asleep.

"Graystripe and his family are up." Aspenkit noted.

Graystripe was sitting at the nursery with Bumblestripe. Blossomfall was with them, although she didn't look as excited as the two toms.

"They're too distracted. Are you coming or not?" Her sister asked.

"Of course not. It's against the warrior code. If anyone finds out they'll put off our apprenticeship." Aspenkit meowed.

Hollykit rolled her eyes.

"I won't tell though. Promise."

"Cool." The pretty black kit said as she dashed back to her siblings. She whispered something to Sapkit, and Sapkit rolled his his eyes and turned around. Woodkit, the rowdy cat of the litter, and Fogkit, who loved to boast, had influenced his sibling to the point where his inquisitive and quiet behavior was pretty much gone.

Woodkit and Fogkit looked at Aspenkit with annoyed looks on their faces, then turned and ran out of camp. Lilyfern raced after them, Hollykit and Sapkit on their heels.

_They're totally going to get caught._ Aspenkit thought, rolling onto her back.

The weather was getting excruciatingly hot. Dewkit had told Hollykit that the lake was being occupied by many Clans. Aspenkit had wished that she was allowed to leave camp so she could go to the lake. She wondered where her siblings were.

Moleclaw exited the warrior's den, followed by Blossomfall. Warriors were starting to wake up. Aspenkit closed her eyes. She knew if she slept nobody would ask her where her siblings were.

_Wonder when they'll get back._ She thought before she closed her eyes.

* * *

"Dovewing has kitted!" A loud call sounded from the nursery.

Aspenkit woke up, jumping to her paws. The loudness of Jayfeather's voice had startled her. Then, she realized that she had denmates! She rushed into the nursery, trying to peer at the other kits.

One was completely white. Another one was gray with dappled black spots. The third was gray with black stripes, like her father.

Bumblestripe ran into the nursery so quickly that he bumped into Aspenkit and she stumbled back into her nest.

"Oooof," She groaned.

Cinderheart purred and slid into her nest, wrapping her tail around Aspenkit. She licked her head, then ran her tail down her back. Aspenkit started purring.

"Where are your siblings?" Cinderheart meowed.

"I…uh… think they're playing hide and seek." Aspenkit lied.

"Why aren't you playing?" Her mother sounded concerned.

"I just don't want to right now. It's too hot."

"Yes, it is hot out." Cinderheart noted as she plucked a leaf from Aspenkit's head fur. She licked her head.

"Are you excited about Dovewing's kits?" Cinderheart meowed after Bumblestripe left the nursery.

"Yes, mother." She mewed, nuzzling Cinderheart. Her mother purred, then she asked Dovewing, "What are you naming them?"

"This one is Glenkit," She said, pointing to the gray dappled one, "And this one is Marshkit." She meowed, pointing to the white one. "The last one is Sagekit."

"Beautiful names for beautiful kits."

"Thank you." Dovewing meowed, then she closed her eyes. "I'm thirsty." She whispered.

"Would you like me to go get you some wet moss?" Cinderheart asked. Dovewing nodded.

As Cinderheart got out of the nest, Aspenkit saw an explosion of kits come into camp. Lilyfern was with them.

"Look mom, there they are." She noted. Cinderheart nodded and walked out of the nursery.

Aspenkit watched her siblings goof around and play fight. Fogkit, who was the biggest kit, jumped as high as he could and landed in a hunting crouch.

_What's_ that_ move called?_ Aspenkit thought, giggling as Fogkit crept forwards and pounced on Hollykit, who had been batting at Foxleap's tail. The two rolled around in the hollow.

Aspenkit walked out of the nursery and outside, where she she tried to climb the walls of the hollow. Nobody paid any attention to her.

The sky was starting to get brighter, and almost every cat was awake. The news of the kitting had spread through the Clan. Squirrelflight was organizing the patrols, and Aspenkit was memorizing the patrol.

Realizing that she could help out with something, she jumped off of the side of the hollow, weaved through her siblings and near the fresh-kill pile, looking at it carefully.

There were two squirrels, a robin a rabbit and two mice. ThunderClan's fresh-kill pile was well-stocked. Aspenkit wondered who had caught what. She couldn't wait to catch her first prey.

She decided on a squirrel and a mouse. She rolled the animals off the fresh-kill pile.

"Hey, you've already eaten!" Fogkit complained as she picked the squirrel up by the scruff and the mouse by the tail.

"They're not for me, mouse-brain." She muttered through her teeth as she headed towards the medicine den.

Aspenkit entered the medicine den. She was approached by Leafpool.

"Hi there, Aspenkit." She greeted. "What's up?" Leafpool looked well. Her pretty brown fur looked neat and she smelled like lavender.

"I just want to give you these," Aspenkit meowed as she dropped the prey on the ground.

"Aw, thanks. I'll make sure Jayfeather gets them." She meowed as she took the prey and disappeared into the depths of the medicine den.

Aspenkit stood for a moment. She wanted to see Ivypool and Brackenfur.

_I guess I can see them another time._ Aspenkit thought, leaving for the elder's den. She wanted to hear a story.

As she entered, she hoped the elders weren't asleep. She was happy to see that Dustpelt and Purdy were awake.

"Hello, young'un." Purdy greeted. Dustpelt flicked his tail.

"Hi Dustpelt! Hello Purdy!" Aspenkit dipped her head.

"What brings ya' here?" Purdy asked. He stretched his claws.

"I just want to hear a story." Aspenkit meowed."

"A real one, or a pretend one?"

"A real one." She declared. She sat down and relaxed. Since she was a kit, she had all the time in the world.

For two more moons at least.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! How are you today? I'm doing well :D**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I appreciate all of your compliments and suggestions so very much. (And to the anonymous user, just keep writing and reviews will come. It helps if you review the stories of others too. Good luck! :D)**

**And for today's random cat fact: Almost 10% of a cat's bones are located in the tail.**

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"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

The call rang through camp, during sunhigh when everyone was at camp. Bramblestar was at the highledge, looking down at his Clan, waiting for them to gather around. His deputy was nearby, although she was not on the highledge. Cherrynose and Moletail sat side by side.

Aspenkit, who'd been spending hours grooming in the nursery, looked up at her mother, who smiled at her before leaving the nursery unaccompanied. Meanwhile, Marshkit and Glenkit begged Dovewing to go to the meeting.

"Can we please go? I want to see the meeting!" Marshkit cried. His green-yellow eyes were round and sparkly, his most effective way of manipulating his parents. However, it rarely worked on his mother.

"No, Marshkit. Sagekit is trying to sleep. You should-"

"Mother, it'll only last for a few heartbeats. Can we please go? We'll take our naps afterwards!"

Aspenkit rolled her eyes and walked out of the nursery. Her siblings were already at the highledge. Bramblestar waited until Aspenkit arrived before speaking. His voice was loud and clear as it rang through the hollow.

"The life of a kit is fun and memorable, but it does not last forever. Five kits have shown that they are ready to leave that life behind."

_Wait a second, does he mean us? Are we becoming apprentices? StarClan, thank you so much!_ Aspenkit looked up at the sky and closed her eyes, then paid attention to the meeting.

"Hollykit, please step forward." Brambleclaw ordered. Aspenkit tapped her sister's shoulder with her tail as she walked up. Aspenkit could sense a bit of fear in her sister's fur, but she still felt proud of her.

"Hollykit**, **you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hollypaw."

"Hollypaw! Hollypaw!" The clan cheered. Aspenkit shouted her sister's name as loud as she could, but her mother's voice rang out above everyone.

Bramblestar waited until the noise died down before addressing the Clan once more.

"Your mentor will be Rosepetal." Bramblestar declared as the cream she-cat stepped forward.

"Rosepetal**, **you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have trained Moleclaw to be a fine warrior, and you have shown yourself to be responsible and caring. You will be the mentor of Hollypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Hollypaw stood before the Clan, her eyes strong and her pelt rippling in the wind. She then proceeded to touch noses with her mentor. She stood before ThunderClan, her head facing front. Aspenkit was so happy for her sister that she almost didn't hear Bramblestar call her name. As Aspenkit walked up to recieve her new name, the joy filling her seemed to soak out and fill the other cats.

"Aspenkit**, **you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Aspenpaw."

_Aspenpaw! _The excited kit thought. She unsheathed her claws in excitement as the Clan called her name. She looked over at her mother, who winked at her beside her father, who stuck his tongue out at her playfully.

Aspen_paw_ felt overjoyed, then she looked over at the group of warriors sitting together. She wondered who would be her mentor.

"Icecloud will mentor you."

Aspenpaw was first a bit surprised. She didn't know Icecloud very well, and couldn't judge her mentoring skills. However, she seemed nice and patient.

The pretty white she-cat looked surprised and mildly pleased as she stepped forward. She looked up at Bramblestar as he continued.

"Icecloud**, **you are more than ready to mentor an apprentice. Whitewing has mentored you to be a good warrior, and you have shown yourself to be patient and accepting. You will be the mentor of Aspenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Icecloud touched noses with Aspenpaw. She could just make out the words "Good luck" being whispered in her ear before Icecloud sat with Rosepetal. Now Aspenkit had to wait through the whole ceremony.

The ceremony seemed so long, Aspenpaw wanted to die. Yet when it (finally) ended, her mother walked up to her and her siblings.

"I'm so proud of all of you!" She melwed with pride. She nuzzled her kits, mumbling a special message to every one of them. Aspenkit's was "_There isn't a perfect warrior in this world._" When her mother whispered that to her, she licked her mother's cheek.

As her mother walked away, their Clanmates moved forward to congratulate them. Dewpaw went up to Hollypaw and mewed, "Now that we're denmates, we can do all sorts of things together!" Fogpaw and Woodpaw were talking to Moleclaw and Snowpaw.

Amberpaw approached Aspenpaw. "Congratulations on becoming an apprentice!"

"Err…thanks..?" She meowed. She gave a shy smile to Amberpaw. After she'd left, Snowpaw gave her a smile and went back to the nest. Aspenpaw went up to Icecloud after that.

"So, Aspenpaw. Would you like to explore the territory or make your nest first? We can do both today."

Aspenpaw quickly shouted, "Collecting moss!"

"Really? Most apprentices hate collecting moss."

"Well, it's the best way to serve the Clan!" Aspenpaw replied. "There's always time to explore territory. Plus, we don't have nests!"

"Sure. We can go up to the mossy trees not far from the hollow." Icecloud mewed as she headed off. The rest of her siblings were off to explore the territory with their mentors. Poppyfrost, Sap-paw's mentor, looked back at them, confused.

Once they arrived, Icecloud spoke to her apprentice. "We can do maybe an hour of moss collecting, then explore the territory, then we can get the moss snd come back to camp."

"Okay." Aspenpaw replied. She looked at the mossy trees. She'd never actually seen a real forest tree. They were gigantic! Aspenkit wondered if she'd be able to climb to the top. She'd heard that her mother broke her leg once falling out of the Sky Oak.

"To cut the moss, you extend your claw as far as it can go, then you male a sharp cut in the moss. If you can peel it off you can get a good piece of moss Try not to get clods of dirt and roots in it or the moss won't grow back." After demonstrating, Icecloud asked her apprentice to try.

Aspenpaw made a a quick cut in the moss, snagging her claw at the bottom. It was a bit ragged but it wasn't horribly shaped.

"Not bad. Your technique isn't bad but you can't push down too hard on the moss. try again!"

Aspenpaw unsheathed her claws and ripped at the moss, pulling her claw out and quickly ripping the moss off the tree. A small bit off moss cloth fell to the ground.

"Not bad! You seem able to do it yourself. I need to run for a second, when I come back we can explore ThunderClan territory. Don't go anywhere." Icecloud ran off.

Happy, Aspenpaw sharply cut at the tree, ripping the moss off by weaving her claws through the roots and widening her paws. She quickly moved her paw down, the moss falling to her paws. Aspenpaw discovered that she enjoyed this. It was peaceful and the forest was beautiful.

As nice as it was, Aspenpaw was a bit worried in five minutes. There was no sign of Icecloud, and although her mentor knew her way around the forest, she didn't. However, she wiped that out of her mind and kept clawing the moss. She was sure Icecloud was fine.

Soon, Aspenpaw could scent something new. She was somewhat interested in the new thing, but she didn't want to disobey her mentor, especially on the first day of training. Maybe this was a test. To see if she could listen to her mentor and follow instructions.

By now, ten minutes had passed, and Aspenpaw could hear some shuffling in the leaves. Relief flowed through her as her mentor, her siblings, and their mentors popped up from the bushes.

"My StarClan, Aspenpaw!" Icecloud cried, running over to her apprentice. "That's a lot of moss!"

Aspsnpaw smiled at her mentor as the other cats went over to the trees to learn how to collect moss.

"I think that's enough moss for now. We can go back to camp, then I'll show you around ThunderClan."

"Sure! Can I make my nest when we're there?"

"No. But only because there won't be the time to show you around."

"Oh." Aspenkit said, a bit disappointed. Still, she was excited to see ThunderClan's territory. She wanted to see the Sky Oak. One day, she'd be able to climb to the top and see everything!

Of course, she'd have to learn to climb first…


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't been too active. Since school started I've been kinda busy juggling that, writing and a sport.**

**Since this chapter is so short, I'm going to make the next chapter very long.**

**And for today's random cat fact: Cats cannot see directly under their noses, which is why they have such a hard time finding food on the floor.**

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Aspenpaw was back in camp, the sun filling her pelt with warmth. None of the apprentices or their mentors had managed to catch any prey, but since it was leaf-fall and prey was rich, it wasn't a huge concern. As the hungry apprentice headed to the fresh-kill pile, ready to sink her teeth into a big, juicy vole, Marshkit approached her. Aspenpaw turned around.

"Hey, Aspenpaw." Marshkit meowed. Aspenpaw greeted him with a flick of her tail as she rooted through the pile. Marshkit watched her.

_Not this one… not this one…not _this_ one… _She murmured inwardly as she tossed prey aside. She was dimly aware of the kit talking, but she didn't give him much thought. She picked up a vole and headed over to a sunny spot. To her annoyance, Marshkit followed her.

"And, that's what Dovewing said." Marshkit finished.

"Cool story, bro." Aspenpaw said through a mouthful of food.

Marshkit beamed at her and scampered off. Aspenpaw sighed in relief as she bit another part off of the vole. But just as she was enjoying the peace and quiet, she saw Bramblestar leap onto the Highledge.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge. I have an important message."

Sighing exasperatedly, she got up and trudged over to the Highledge. Bramblestar waited patiently until all cats gathered. Hollypaw and Dewpaw sat next to each other.

"Icecloud has scented dogs over near the forest." Bramblestar started.

Aspenpaw felt the fur on her back stand.

"She also reported seeing a slaughtered rabbit very close by." He continued. Hollypaw was also bristling, but Dewpaw pressed against her. Aspenpaw twitched her whiskers.

"Since this is a potential threat to our kits and apprentices, I've decided to increase patrols near the forest. I have also decided to offer tree-climbing lessons to our kits, and I encourage mentors to train apprentices harder and quicker. Meeting adjourned. Squirrelflight, please see me in my den." Bramblestar retreated to his den.

"I can't wait to learn how to climb!" Marshkit meowed behind Aspenpaw. Sagekit and Glenkit meowed their agreements.

Aspenpaw, however, wasn't as happy as the kits…


End file.
